Reading attachment for chairs.



G. WICKBERG.

READING ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIRS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-21. I916.

1,22B,27%, Patented May 29, 1917.

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G. WICKBERG.

Patentefi May 29, 1917.

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prairie GODFREY WICKBERG, F SEATTLE, WASHING-TON.

READING ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIR-S.

citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of lVashington, have invented new and useful Improvements in Reading Attachments for (.lhairs, of which the following is a specificatlon.

This invention is an improved reading at taclnnent adapted to be attached to an arm of an arm chair, such as a rocking chair, Morris chair, or other form of chair for supporting a book and enabling the book to be arranged at any desired distance from the reader and at any desired angle, and for also enabling the book to be moved out of the way when entering or leaving the chair, the object of the invention being to provide an improved device of this character which is cheap and simple, is strong and durable, which may be readily arranged and adjusted, and which is not likely to get out of order. 1

The invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a reading attachment constructed in accordance with my invention showing the same attached to an arm of a chair and arranged in one position in full lines and another position in dotted lines, the socket piece being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a similar view at right angles to Fig. 1 and with the chair arm in cross section.

Figs. 3, 4, and are detail views.

In the embodiment of my invention, I provide a base plate 1, which is here shown as having rounded ends and which is detach ably secured on the arm A of an arm chair by means of clamps 2, each of which comprises a substantially U-shaped member 3 and a clamping screw 4. In practice, the plate will be lined on its under side with felt or other suitable cushioning material to prevent the base plate from scratching or marring the chair arm. A socket piece 5 is pivotally mounted on the base plate as at 6 and is provided at one end with an arm 7 in which is a clamping screw 8 which screw is adapted to be engaged with any of a series of threaded openings 9 in the base plate and which are concentric with the pivot 6. Thereby the socket piece may be arranged in any desired Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May as, rare.

Application filed. January 21, 1916. Serial No. 73,416.

position on the base plate and secured in such position, as will be understood.

An inclined supporting arm 10 has its lower end pivotally mounted in the socket slot 11 of the socket piece as at 12, said pivot 12 being horizontal, and the said supporting arm being thereby adapted to swing and to be adjusted in a vertical plane. To support the arm 10 at any desired inclination, the socket piece is provided at its inner end with an adjusting screw 13. The upper end of the supporting arm is out-turned as at 1 1 and on the out-turned portion of said supporting arm is a pivotally mounted standard 15, the pivot 16 of which is at its lower end and is arranged in an opening in the arm 10 and provided at its lower end with an upset enlarged retaining head 17. Hence the standard is pivotally connected to the supporting arm and may be turned in any desired direction.

A link lug 18 is pivotally connected to the standard as at 19, for vertical angular movement, said pivot being substantially horizontal and being here shown as a clamping screw 20 by means of whichsaid link lug may be arranged and held in any desired adjusted position.

The book holder 21 comprises a central upright bar 22, a pair of side bars 23,-which are spaced from opposite sides of the bar 22, a pair of lower connecting bars 24:, a air of upper connecting bars 25, and a pair 0 intermediate connecting bars 26. The lower connecting bars are made of angle iron so that their lower webs 27 form ledges on which the lower side of a book may be arranged, the vertical webs of said bars being pivotally connected near their ends to the bar 22 as at 28 and to the side bars 23 as at 29. The bars 25, 26, are pivotally connected at their inner ends to the bar 22 as at 30, 31, respectively and are pivotally connected near their outer ends to the side bars 23, as at 32, 33 respectively. Hence the bars 2 1, 25, 26, and the side bars 23 may be extended outwardly from the bar 22 or folded up against the same, as will be understood. Extension bars 34 are pivoted as at 35 on the lower webs or ledges 27 of the bottom bars 24: and may be extended outwardly at an angle thereto for supporting books of considerable thickness. Extension bars 36 are pivotally connected to the bars 25 as at 37 and may be turned upwardly therefrom to support books of more than ordinary height. The bar 22 has a slot lower arm of the link lug 18 by a screw 89..

To hold the book in open position on the book holder and yet allow the leaves to be readily turned, I provide a clip 40. This clip comprises a base 41 which has two members 42, 43 arranged respectively on the front and rear sides of the bar 22 and connected together by screws 43 which operate in the slot 38 so that the clip may be moved upwardly or downwardly on the bar 22 as may be required by the size of the book. A yoke 44 is secured to the base 41 of the clip and has bearings in its arms for a rocker member 45 which is provided at its center with a finger piece or handle 46. Springs 47 are coiled on the rocker member, their inner ends are extended as at 48 and caused to bear against the rear side of the yoke. The springs extend through transverse openings in the rocker member and their outer ends form arms 49 which are provided with eyes 50 to bear against the leaves of the book and are connected to-' gether by a wire 51.

'The springs act to brace the arms 49 against the leaves of the book, to hold the latter in open position. In practice the clip is so adjusted as to cause its spring arms to bear against the leaves of the book near their upper edges so that the clip does not obstruct the pages and so that the arms of the clip can be readily disengaged from the pages by means of the finger piece 46 and reengage therewith after a page has been turned.

It will be understood that the pivotally mounted socket device which carries the supporting arm and the book holder enables the device to be arranged in front of the occupant of a chair or to be turned outwardly to one side thereof. By turning the supporting arm 10 rearwardly, the book holder may be alsoarranged out of the way. The book holder may be adjusted to any de sired position. The device may be used on a rocking chair if desired so that the reader may gently rock the chair while reading.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred form of my invention, I would have it understood that changes may be made in the form, proportion, and construetion of the several parts, without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

In a device of the class described, a base structure, a socket device pivotally mounted on the base structure for angular movement in a horizontal plane, an inclined supporting arm pivotally connected to the socket device for angular movement in a vertical plane, means to secure said supporting arm at any desired inclination, a standard having its lower end pivotally mounted on the supporting arm so that the standard is adapted to turn axially, a book holder, and a link lug secured to the rear side ofthe holder and pivotally connected to the standard, the aXis of the pivotal connection between the link lug and the standard being at right angles to said standard.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GODFREY WIGKBERG- Witnesses:

W. L. SPIOKLEMIER, II. P. ECKMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Paten s, Washington, D. C. 

